7 Batman Moments So Bad We Question if He’s Really the Hero

Batman is one of the most famous heroes known for his strong moral principles. He’s particularly recognized for his strict rule against killing, even when facing dangerous enemies. However, despite this code, Batman often acts in ways that contradict it. He has a history of making harsh and sometimes cruel decisions, not only when dealing with criminals, but also with those he cares about.

Even heroes make mistakes, but Batman’s actions sometimes go beyond simple errors in judgment. He’s done truly awful things – actions so troubling they make you wonder if he’s actually a hero, or if he’s contributing to the problems in Gotham City. Here are seven of his worst moments, actions that really make you question everything you thought you knew about the Dark Knight.

7) Batman and Black Canary’s Rooftop Hookup

Frank Miller’s run on *All-Star Batman and Robin* is well-known for its controversial portrayal of Batman. Many readers find it filled with moments that feel very out of character for the hero, and a particularly disturbing example involves his relationship with Black Canary. In issue #7, Batman brutally defeats a group of armed thugs, then shockingly sets them on fire with a Molotov cocktail. But the horror doesn’t end there – Black Canary witnesses the scene, and the two end up having a romantic encounter right next to the burning bodies. This behavior is deeply disturbing and feels more like something a villain would do.

6) The Mistreatment of Stephanie Brown

The question of whether Batman is truly a hero is often debated, and his relationships with his Robins are a key part of that discussion. One particularly troubling example is how he treated Stephanie Brown. After Tim Drake resigned as Robin, Batman reluctantly took Stephanie on, despite having reservations about her skills. When she made an error, he immediately fired her and forbade her from fighting crime. This led Stephanie to try and prove herself, resulting in a terrible accident that left her severely injured and seemingly killed. It wasn’t just that Batman’s handling of Stephanie was poor; it’s heavily suggested he only recruited her to provoke Tim Drake, making her suffering and potential death a consequence of Batman’s personal issues.

5) Batman Hangs Someone From His Jet

It’s important to remember that early Batman comics were quite different from modern stories, but that doesn’t excuse a troubling act in the very first issue, *Batman* #1. In this story, Batman confronts criminals who have been physically and mentally altered by Hugo Strange. While the situation is dark, the truly disturbing moment comes when Batman captures one of these men, hangs him by the neck, and then flies him dangling from his plane until the man dies – essentially flying a corpse over the city. The scene becomes even more unsettling when Batman simply drops the body, letting it fall to the ground. This event was so dark that it led to an editorial decision stating Batman would not kill, but it remains a deeply disturbing and unheroic moment in his early history.

4) Brother Eye

Batman is famous for being prepared, but some argue he’s actually overly paranoid, and the Brother Eye system demonstrates this. He took contingency planning to an extreme by creating a secret satellite to monitor other superheroes. Unfortunately, Brother Eye was hacked and eventually became self-aware, deciding to eliminate all metahumans. Batman acknowledges Brother Eye as his biggest error, and the fact that he believed monitoring heroes with such risky surveillance was necessary – ultimately leading to deadly consequences – raises serious questions about his decision-making.

3) Leaving KGBeast to Die

Batman is famous for his rule against killing, but he often bends the definition of what that means. A prime example is in *Batman* #420, where he defeats KGBeast not by killing him, but by imprisoning him in an inescapable underground cell and leaving him to die of starvation. Though this event was later changed in the storyline, it highlights Batman’s willingness to stretch the boundaries of his ‘no killing’ rule, and it’s a tactic that feels surprisingly similar to what some of his enemies would do.

2) Abusing Dick Grayson

We previously noted that *All-Star Batman and Robin* was deeply flawed, and a particularly disturbing moment highlights why. While the romantic relationship between Batman and Black Canary was unsettling, his mistreatment of Dick Grayson (Robin) is arguably the worst part of the entire series. Batman subjects the already traumatized young man to physical and verbal abuse, even resorting to hitting him and locking him in the Batcave as a training method. He essentially forces Robin to fend for himself, even to the point of eating rats to survive – a form of psychological torture on top of the physical harm. To make matters even worse, Batman becomes enraged when Alfred attempts to provide Robin with food. It’s a truly awful situation.

1) Laughing With the Joker

Look, The Killing Joke is one of those comics everyone talks about, and for good reason – it’s a classic. But it’s also really messed up, and it’s not just about what happens to Barbara Gordon. The part that *really* gets to me is when Batman finally has it with the Joker, and the Joker responds with… a joke. And Batman *laughs*. Not just a grimace, but a full-on, genuine laugh with this absolutely terrifying villain. Considering everything the Joker has done, seeing Batman share that moment with him is just… disturbing. Even with the ending hinting that Batman might have killed the Joker, that shared laugh still feels incredibly wrong and gross. It just sticks with you.

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2025-09-25 17:12